Abstract:
IA Functional Materials
A material is something known for its properties and finds application accordingly. For instance, stone is the first material known to mankind which was used for hunting animals and protection in Stone Age (Figure I.1). Naturally available wood has played a crucial role in the history of civilization as fuel, weapons, and tools, the raw material for building constructions, papers, etc. Around 5000 BC, after the invention of fire, the first ceramic was made by sintering clay at high temperatures to increase the hardness of the material. Ceramics are mainly composed of inorganic oxides (Al2O3, SiO2, Fe3O4), nitrides, carbides (SiC) and silicates.
